Here is my collection of Green Pool Clean Up Videos for you.  I use various methods in each of the Green Pool Clean Ups but the Basic Steps are the Same.  Here are the Steps for a Green Pool Clean up using the PoolRx Product. If you want to use an alternate Algaecide like Sodium Bromide, Yellow Out or a Swamp Treat you would just follow the steps outlined here and in Step 7 instead of using the PoolRx use an alternate algae Treatment. 

 

Here are the Steps for Clearing a Green Pool for you:

 

Step One: Clean the pool filter – more than likely it is full of green algae. If you have a D.E. Filter check also for torn or damaged grids. Also, check the Top Manifold for cracks. If you have a Cartridge Filter hose off the cartridges. If you have a Sand Filter simply backwash it and get the filter pressure down. Depending on how bad the pool is you may need to clean the filter one more time or several more times.

 

Step Two: Brush the pool. At this point, you will not be vacuuming the pool. First, you want to aggressively brush the pool walls and floor to loosen up the algae so it can be destroyed more easily. If the pool is full of debris you can skim it out also.

 

Step Three: Check the Water Chemistry. More than likely the pool will have no chlorine in it. This is basically what you are looking for in this step. If the Conditioner levels are high at this point I wouldn't worry about it for now. First things first, the chlorine level at zero is contributing to the problem more than high CYA.

 

Step Four: Balance the pH. In a normal Green Pool Clean Up I don't worry too much about the pH. But for the PoolRx, the Minerals are more effective if the pH is at 7.2-7.4. So if the pH is high add some Muriatic Acid to lower it down to that range.

 

Step Five: Bring Chlorine level-up to 10.0 ppm. This is where the steps differ from the PoolRx Green Pool Guide. They suggest a level of at least 2.0 ppm but in my experience, it is better to add more Chlorine as the organics in the water will destroy much of the chlorine within the first few hours. I post different green pool levels in the video from a light green or level one to the very swamp-like level five where you will have mosquito larvae and frogs in the water. With each shade of green, you will need to add more and more Chlorine to get the pool to 10 ppm. For example, in a level 2 Green Pool, you can easily bring the pool up to 10.0 ppm with just 2 gallons of 12.5% liquid Chlorine (20,000-gallon pool). But the same size pool at a level four Green Pool you will need to add 8 gallons of 12.5% liquid Chlorine to hope for 10 ppm. All of the organic junk in the water will destroy the Chlorine level rapidly.

 

So basically you are adding more and more Chlorine as the pool get greener to reach that 10 ppm threshold.

 

Step Six: Insert a PoolRx unit into the pump basket. You will want to choose the right size PoolRx unit depending on the pool size and how green it is. If your pool is 15,000 gallons but the pool is dark green you will want to use the Black PoolRx Unit which is rated for up to a 30,000-gallon pool. Much of the Minerals will be used up by the green algae and the Black Unit has 12 oz of Minerals as opposed to the Blue Unit which has 8 oz of the Mineral. If your pool is 20,000 gallons but just a very light green, you can use the Blue PoolRx Unit. So it is pool size and the severity of the Green Pool which will determine which size unit to use.

 

Step Seven: Run Pool for 24 Hours. This is a critical part of this process for two reasons. First, you want to run the pool for 24 hours because you want as much of the green water to pass through the filter as possible - this helps clear up the pool. This also allows the Chlorine to circulate in the water. And if you run the pool 24 hours this allows for the Minerals to completely dissolve in the water since you may need to clean the pool filter a second or third time. This will ensure that most of the Minerals are in the water and not trapped in the filter.

 

Step Eight: Recheck the pool water chemistry. After 24 hours under normal circumstances, most of the Chlorine will be used up from the green algae. It is not uncommon for a pool to have zero Chlorine again the next day. Even if you pour in 8-10 gallons this is likely to happen. So recheck the Chlorine level and add more if needed. I prefer to bring it back up to shock levels again – 10.0 ppm.

 

Step Nine: Vacuum out the pool. Once the dead algae settle on the bottom you can vacuum the pool out. If you have a Sand Filter or D.E. Filter with a Multi-Port Valve you can vacuum to “Waste.” If you don't have that valve or have a Cartridge filter you will need to vacuum it into the filter. You may need to clean or backwash the filter after vacuuming the pool. It might be a good idea to invest in a Portable Clean Up Pump – I have a video that shows you how to build one or if you are a pool service tech you may want to invest in a Portable Filtration System.

 

Step 10: Clean the pool filter a second or multiple times. Depending on how bad the pool is you may need to clean the filter a second time and sometimes 4-5 times. You will know to clean the filter again if the PSI rises after one day or the pool circulation is slow. All of the dead algae really clogs up the filter and a second or third cleaning is not uncommon.